Belfast's Forgotten Cemetery

 

East Belfast Cemetery

Belfast, Maine



 

 

Recently I stumbled across a gem that was hidden in what is practically my backyard. For sometime now, I have called Waldo County home and more specifically the Belfast/ Searsport area. I assumed there were no new discoveries to be made. I was wrong. Hidden along the coast and down a driveway may be what is the oldest cemetery in the area. If you ask the locals (myself previously included) about cemeteries in Belfast they would likely point you in the direction of Grove Cemetery. Grove Cemetery is certainly the largest one in the area with expansive grounds and many interesting stones in it's own right. However, its oldest burials go back little further than 1830. Belfast on the other hand has a rich history dating back to the late 1700's. This is where East Belfast Cemetery comes in.

 

 

A view of Belfast today reveals that much of the town is on the south side of the Passagassawakeag River. This is where you will find the historic downtown. However, in its earliest days most of the people who called the area now known as Belfast home seem to have resided on the north side of the river. So it makes perfect sense that we would find the oldest burying ground here.

 

I first heard rumors of the East Belfast Cemetery from a coworker of mine. She informed me that she lives in one of the oldest houses in Belfast. The said house had at one time been a tavern and was even occupied by British troops when they burned Belfast during the Revolutionary War. She mentioned the cemetery as the resting place of the home's original owner. Obviously this peaked my interest. However, in her description it was hidden out in the woods. While this may have been the case at one time it seems to be better marked and cared for today. I discovered the cemetery's exact location through a book I have been reading recently about coastal Maine cemeteries. I could not wait to see it first hand, and with it being so close there was little to keep me away. I was not disappointed.

 

 

East Belfast Cemetery is unique in that it is primarily filled with stones that show the stone cutting art of the late 1700's and early 1800's. This is almost unheard of in Waldo County. As you enter the cemetery you will find the newer stones. Moving past them there seems to be a considerable open space (probably unmarked graves). Then, as you near the water, you will see rows of slate stones. Many of these slate stones hold wonderful examples of the winged death head so common at the time. Other's display the urn, and one stone has a wonderful example of a weeping willow. Inscriptions can be difficult to read due to wear, but many stones have been marked with flags indicating they are believed to be the resting place of Veterans of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. This is not a large cemetery so it won't take you long to explore everything. However, take note of the very interesting inscription written on a stone belonging to a woman by the name of Ruth Brown. It reads, "Also her infant encircled in her right arm."  The specific nature of this inscription is of great interest and a rare find for the period.

 

 

To get to East Belfast Cemetery simply take Route 1 and head in the direction of Searsport. The cemetery will be on your right about a mile after crossing the bridge. After you pass Jerry's Hardware look for the very tall airmail mailbox. You will want to take the unmarked driveway before the driveway with the airmail mailbox. About ten feet down the driveway you will see a path on the left leading into the cemetery. I highly recommend this exploration, especially if you are a local and have never been.